Improvement in life-preserving mattresses



.I. F. PEEK.

Life-Preserving Mattresses. U N0,l49,]50 Patented March 31,1874.

WTMsses,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J FRANKLIN PECK, OF SPRING-FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-PRESERVING MATTRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149.150, dated March 31, 1874; application filed July 19, 1873.

To all whom it may concern! Be it known that I, J. FRANKLIN PEoK, of Springfield, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Life- Preservers and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making a part of this specification, in which, reference being had also to the letters of reference marked thereon Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lifepreserver as arranged with a spring-bottom for sleeping purposes. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a view of the device as arranged and adapted for use as a lifepreserver.

- The object of my invention is to provide a life-preserver which may be used in connection with a spring bed-bottom for sleeping purposes, and may also be readily attached to the body before entering the water; and it consists of a thin mattress having a pillow or cushion filled with cork attached to each end, each provided with a strap or cord, by which to secure it to the neck or shoulders, before and behind, with the mattress placed between the legs.

In the drawings, A represents a mattress, made quite thin, say two inches, and filled I with hair or other suitable flexible material,

and to each end thereof is attached a cushion or pillow, B, of the same length as the width of the mattress,and, say, one foot Wide, and about five inches thick, and the mattress with both pillows being, say, six or six and a half feet long. To each pillow is attached a strap, (3, which may be elastic, or may be provided with a buckle or other fastening to adjust it readily to the body.

The device may be used for sleeping purposes, and used in berths of vessels by placing the mattress upon a spring-bed, which is made of the same length as the mattress, and

of such height that when the mattress and spring-bottom D are placed in a berth the up per surface of the mattress and pillows isshoulder, and, bringing the other pillow B up against the breast, place the other loop 0 over the head and the other shoulder. When thus securedthe person may jump into the water, and will float with his head and shoulders out of the water for any length of time, and, even if unconscious, would not get free from the device unless rescued or brought to land; and, as thus applied, the device is a protection to the body from injury against rocks or timbers.

Other cords may be attached along each edge of the mattress and at the ends of the pillows B, so that several of these devices may be secured together to form a raft, or lashed to small spars to form life-rafts, and other like means of safety for those who might be wrecked.

These devices, when distributed in the berths of a vessel, would be available to the passengers, and could be quickly adjusted, and will float the heaviest person with ease.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The combination of the cork pillows or cushions B, provided with loops or fastenin gs O, with the thin mattress A, so that it may be readily adjusted to the person, substantially as and for the purpose described.

J. FRANKLIN PEOK.

WVitnesses T. A. (loans, 0. E. BUGKLAND. 

